We've all said it - "This Christmas season is going to be different. No more getting caught up in the Christmas rush. No more getting over committed to parties and activities and events. No more waiting until the last minute to shop or cook or decorate. I'm not going to fall into the same old traps and get totally stressed out at Christmas!"
As Doctor Phil might ask, "How's that working for you?"
At Christmas, what we pledge to do and what actually happens are often quite different. We get angry at ourselves (and the people around us). We become frustrated that our hope for really pondering and celebrating the birth of the Christ child gets lost in the clutter and chaos of the season.
Alexandra Kuykendall has come to your rescue!
Her new book, "Loving My Actual Christmas," (Baker Books) offers some wonderful ideas on how you can order your life and focus on the seasons of Advent and Christmas. Working from the four week Advent themes - Hope, Love, Joy & Peace - Kuykendall shares her personal experiment on making the season meaningful.
She is open and honest about the challenge of not falling into the trap of the Christmas rush. She shows how to intentionally practice the four Advent themes so that Christmas becomes a time of faith and family. Kuykendall also provides some tips for putting everything she's written about into practice. I found her scheduling principles (page 105 ff) to be particularly helpful.
My dear, sweet wife is asking to read the book too. If you've felt that your Christmas holiday season hasn't been everything you've wanted it to be, grab a copy of "Loving My Actual Christmas" and let Alexandra Kuykendall encourage you!
